April 25, 2013

THE MICROBES YOU INHALE ON THE NEW YORK CITY SUBWAY




The microbial population in the air of the New York City subway system is nearly identical to that of ambient air on the city streets. This research, published ahead of print in the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology, establishes an important baseline, should it become necessary to monitor the subway’s air for dispersal of potentially dangerous microbes. Also, the combination of new methodologies in the study, including fast collection of aerosols and rapid sequencing technology, provide an efficient means for monitoring which was not previously available.

The results “are strong testimony for the efficiency of the train pumping system for ventilation,” says principal investigator Norman R. Pace of the University of Colorado, Boulder.